Sea Squirts are sedentary Tunicates, firmly fixed to rock, coral or some other substrate. They are named for their tunic-like rigid covering, which is composed of living tissue. The upper surface contains two siphons, which violently expels water when the animal is removed from its environment, hence the common name of "squirt". The upper, larger, siphon contains cillia, which suck in the water, removing the nutrients and expelling the rest out of the lower siphon. Sea Squirts are hermaphrodites, and fertilisation is external. Juvenile larvae are free-swimming, but within 36 hours will have settled into a sessile lifestyle.
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